About Christ the Redeemer in Rio Brazil - Facts, History, Tickets Price Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil PDF A larger-than-life statue of Jesus Christ perched on the Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro is inspiring, to say the least. The largest Art Deco statue of Jesus with his arms outstretched gives viewers an impression that the savior of men is keeping a watchful eye over the people of Rio. This 38-m high symbol of peace offers spectacular views of downtown Rio, the bay, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana beach , and Ipanema beach . History Christ the Redeemer The idea of placing a Christian monument on Mount Corcovado (which means Hunchback) first surfaced in the middle of the 1850s to honor Princess Isabel, the daughter of Emperor Pedro II. The very idea of building the statue was shunned in 1889 when Brazil became a republic and the church and state were separated. But the Catholic Circle of Rio de Janeiro recommended building the monument in 1920. Donations from general public were collected to fund the construction of the site.

It took nine years to build Christ the Redeemer (1922 to 1931) tourist attraction, which was thrown open to public on October 12, 1931. Things to do In and Around the Christ the Redeemer Statue Besides hiking, one can enjoy Hang Gliding over the wonderful city of Rio. The Tijuca National Forest is the place where you can get bookings done for Hang Gliding. Enjoy the cog train ride through the Tijuca Rainforest to reach the vantage point in the Corcovado Mountain and enjoy breathtaking views of the statue. Nearby Attractions Corcovado Mountain – It’s a granite mountain peak in central Rio with the statue of Christ the Redeemer on top. The mountain is situated within the national park called the Tijuca Forest. A 20-minute ride by Corcovado Rack Railway will get you to the top of the mountain. Guanabara Bay – This oceanic bay in the Southeastern part of Brazil offers a spectacular sight when viewed from a high altitude as it has around 130 small islands that look like dots in the bay. Copacabana Beach – It’s an outstanding confluence of land and sea.

Indulge in activities on this long curving beach and watch the football skills being displayed by favela (slum) kids. The beach is sufficiently illuminated at night. Ipanema Beach – The beach, with a long stretch of sand, displays diverse subcultures. It’s a favorite hangout for artists and intellectuals alike. Where is Christ the Redeemer Statue? The Christ the Redeemer statue stands atop Mount Corcovado in Tijuca Forest in central Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. How to Reach Christ the Redeemer? By Air – The Santos Dumont Airport is just 12 km away from the statue and a half-an-hour drive is all what it takes to get there. The Galeao-Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport in Rio de Janeiro is just over 26 km away from the Corcovado Mountain. A drive will take close to an hour. The Jacarepagua-Roberto Marinho Airport is another option. It’s less than 30 km from here. A little longer than an hour’s drive gets you there. By Train – Specially customized train routes are in place to help travelers reach the destination.

The Corcovado train station in Cosme Velho and the Riotur kiosque near the Copacabana beach are the hubs from where the trains leave for this heritage destination. By Road – Mount Carcovado is well connected to every part of the city by road. There are specific bus routes operational to take the tourists to this historic site. Accommodations The Mercure Rio De Janeiro Botafogo Hotel and Apa Hotel are preferred budget accommodations. The mid-range hotels located in the vicinity include Hotel Atlantico Copacabana, Hotel Astoria Copacabana, and Mirador Rio Copacabana Hotel. The Rio 180° Boutique Hotel and Mar Palace Copacabana Hotel are meant for high-end travelers. Restaurants Mr. Lam, Rio Scenarium, Confeitaria Colombo, Garota de Ipanema, Sushi Leblon, Bibi Sucos, and Parcao Ipanema, are some of the most famous and popular food joints in Rio de Janeiro. Best Time to Visit in Christ the Redeemer Though the weather in Rio de Janeiro remains pleasant throughout the year, September to November are the most preferred months.

Things to Remember To get better visibility, it is recommended to visit the place in the morning. If you don’t want to wait in a queue to board the cog train and you are open to the idea of climbing the Corcovado Mountain, you can try several rock climbing routes. Christ the Redeemer Tickets Price During high season (including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays), the ticket price for adults is R$ 62. During low season, the price is slashed to R$ 51. Minors up to five years don’t need tickets. Get the tickets from the counter at the Corcovado train station in Cosme Velho or the Riotur kiosk on the Copacabana beach. Christ the Redeemer Facts The Statue was voted as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World in 2007. French sculptor Paul Landowski built the head and hands of the statue. Brazilian engineers Heitor Silva Costa and Pedro Viana sculpted the remaining statue. The monument receives four million visitors every year. It is the most photographed destination in Brazil. It is considered the largest Art Deco statue and fifth largest statue of Jesus in the world.

Christ the Redeemer statue featured in various movies such as ‘2012’, ‘Rio’, and ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1’ There is a chapel at the base of the statue where weddings and baptism ceremonies are performed. Arms wide open Introduction Up close Lightning strikes In the beginning Symbol of a nation Arms wide open Brazil’s statue of Christ is, for some, the ultimate religious symbol. For others, an irresistible tourist attraction. Its image is known the world over, but few know the story behind Cristo Redentor. Scroll down to continue Up close There is a trapdoor on Christ's right shoulder. To mount the steps and slowly, fearfully peer out is to see the world through the eyes of a bird, or even a god. Far below, white blocks of flats and offices cluster among folds of tropical green. Down there are the poor in the favelas, the rich in the luxury high-rise apartments, the homeless, the famous football stadiums and Guanabara bay with its scattered islands and boats. Beyond the sands of Copacabana and Ipanema, the limitless Atlantic ocean.

To the left, standing twice a man's height, is the slightly bowed head of Christ, also looking down on the beauty of the city. But unlike the forests or the ocean, this statue was the work of man and will not last for ever. Close up, the toll of 83 years of weathering is starkly apparent. Unnoticed by the 5,000 who visit the landmark every day - and see it only from a distance - the surface is a patchwork of worn mosaic tiles resembling the skin of an aged reptile. Lightning storms have been chipping away at it. In January, two direct hits in eight days blasted off a middle fingertip and scorched the back of the head, sparking a race to patch up Rio's favourite picture-postcard scene before the World Cup in June. Such is the statue's popularity that even at 8am there is a babble of tourists taking photographs and enjoying the view. For them, the only sign of anything wrong is the scaffolding that leads up the 8m (26ft) pedestal to a discreet entrance in the hem of the cloak. If the statue had a right ankle, the door reserved for workers would open into it.

Once inside, the hubbub disappears. There is little natural light and only a few bare bulbs. Flights of open stairs make their way up through the centre, between the criss-crossed concrete supports that give the statue its strength. A thick skin of reinforced concrete means the inside is cool, despite the summer heat outside. Climbing up, a number is crudely painted on the wall of each of the 12 floors in what feels like an abandoned, dusty warehouse. There is no sign that this is the inside of Christ the Redeemer until an upper level, where a roughly shaped heart bulges from the inside of the chest. It is covered in the same stone mosaic as the outside of the statue - where the outline of the heart can also be seen - the only delicate detail in an interior that's otherwise rough around the edges. From the top of the last set of stairs, a vertical steel ladder leads to a tunnel in the statue's arm. A dark, narrow passageway then stretches all the way to the fingers. The only way to inspect the damage caused by the recent lightning strikes is to go out - through the top of the 30m-high statue.

The workers who crawl out of the holes in the arms, shoulders or head use ropes to tether them as they abseil down the torso or inch along the 28m-span of the arms, the city spreading out before them, far below. Lightning strikes Brazil’s tropical location makes it one of the lightning capitals of the world, which was never going to be good for a statue on a sharp 710m-high granite peak. There are two, maybe four, direct hits each year, according to the Brazilian Institute of Space Research. Most cause no damage. But recent storms have been unusually violent. “In the past few years, there have been some cases of storms registering more than 1,000 lightning bolts, which did not occur previously,” says Dr Osmar Pinto, chief of the institute’s atmospheric electricity group. “It is necessary to review the structure of the statue periodically and revise the earthing system of the lightning rods.” The statue has a conductor that covers its head in something resembling a crown of thorns, and stretches down each arm to the hands. Part of the work now under way is to extend the lightning rods to the statue’s fingertips. Improving the earthing of the rods is just as important.

Effectively earthed, there would be less risk of damage to the statue in the immediate vicinity of the conductor. But earthing is tricky at the top of a big granite rock, as granite itself conducts electricity poorly. The damage caused by January's dramatic lightning strikes was more serious than usual says Paolo Dal Pino, president of tyre company Pirelli in South America, which is footing the 1.9m real (£500,000, $790,000) bill for the current round of repairs. “For a monument like this, that hosts two million guests a year - it’s going to be three million people probably in 2014 - a place like this, damaged, is something that cannot exist,” he says. With bigger storms, and the statue getting older, it’s possible that such repair jobs will be needed more frequently. But the original pale grey-green stones that make up the mosaic surface have run out - so there is a possibility that the statue will gradually turn a darker shade. Already, years of piecemeal repairs mean the statue is a patchwork of varying shades of grey, blue and green, when seen from close quarters.

Future repairs will be further from the original colour, unless a new deposit of the stone is found. Marcia Braga, the architect who led a restoration of the statue in 2010, says she faced difficulties finding the right stone. In the process of replacing 60,000 tiles, she rejected 80% of those supplied by the quarry. “The idea is to do something as close to the original as possible because when you use different colours it’s not a pleasant aesthetic,” she says. Reports that all the statue's six million stones will be replaced, and that Christ the Redeemer will change colour in one fell swoop, have been denied. The next major renovation is expected in 2020, 10 years after the last. As yet no decision has been made on how many tiles to renew, but any new stones used will be a deeper shade, “a different, a darker green”, says spokesman for Brazil’s National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage. “The stones of Christ are hard to find.” In the beginning The stone tiles that cover Christ the Redeemer were one of the last pieces of the design to be finalised.

According to the project's Brazilian architect, Heitor da Silva Costa - seated, in the picture above - it was the first time mosaic would be used on a statue. The original idea for a monument to Christ came from a group of Brazilians who, in the wake of World War One, feared an advancing tide of godlessness. Church and state had been separated when Brazil became a republic at the end of the previous century, and they saw the statue as a way of reclaiming Rio – then Brazil’s capital city – for Christianity. An early design was dubbed Christ with a ball The first proposal was for a bronze statue of Christ on Sugar Loaf - the giant lump of rock with a smooth, curved summit that rises out of the ocean at the entrance to Guanabara Bay. But it was soon decided that Corcovado (“hunch back”) - a peak in the forested hills behind the city - was a better location.

Da Silva Costa, whose design was chosen in February 1922, imagined the statue facing the rising sun: “The statue of the divine saviour shall be the first image to emerge from the obscurity in which the earth is plunged and to receive the salute of the star of the day which, after surrounding it with its radiant luminosity, shall build at sunset around its head a halo fit for the Man-God,” he wrote. His initial design showed Christ carrying a large cross, which he hugged to his body with one hand, while holding a celestial globe with the other. Some people made fun of it, calling it “Christ with a ball”. Carlos Oswald's drawings show how the design developed As he studied the Corcovado from various vantage points in the city - at that point topped with a radio transmission tower erected by Westinghouse - a new design took shape. In this new version, developed with artist Carlos Oswald, Christ was himself the cross, his outstretched arms signifying the redemption of mankind at the crucifixion. But the new design introduced new challenges. Da Silva Costa had already concluded the structure would need to be huge, to be visible from the city centre 4km (2.5 miles) away.

It would also have to be immensely strong, to support the massive arms. Da Silva Costa decided on reinforced concrete, “the material of the future” as he saw it, and headed for Europe in 1924 to seek help from the leading French engineer in the field, Albert Caquot. While there, he also met a number of European sculptors. Antoine Bourdelle, who had worked with Rodin, was one of those approached to make a 4m-high scale model based on Oswald’s drawings, but it was French-Polish sculptor Paul Landowski who received the commission. Oswald’s sketches were already voguishly art deco – but Landowski intensified this stylisation, working particularly on the head and hands, which he produced full-sized in clay, to be shipped to Rio where they were reproduced in concrete. A 4m-high scale model was made in Landowski's studio in Paris By 1927 a preliminary steel frame had already been erected on the top of Corcovado and yet the problem of the statue’s finish had still not been solved. Da Silva Costa regarded concrete itself as unacceptably rough and crude.

“We were marching towards the inevitable artistic failure, without being able to go back,” he wrote later. Inspiration came in an arcade which had recently opened on the Champs Elysees, where, after work one evening, he saw a fountain covered in a silvery mosaic. “By seeing how the small tiles covered all the curved profiles of the fountain, I was soon taken by the idea of using them on the image which I always had in my thoughts,” wrote Da Silva Costa. “Moving from the concept to the making of it took less than 24 hours. The next morning I went to a ceramic studio where I made the first samples.” For the material, Da Silva Costa chose soapstone, according to his great-great-granddaughter, Bel Noronha, partly because it had been used by the 18th Century sculptor Aleijadinho (“the cripple”) in the state of Minas Gerais, just north of Rio. After losing his fingers to disease, Aleijadinho miraculously continued to carve ornate statues using a hammer and chisel tied to what was left of his hands.

That these were still in good condition 120 years later, in Da Silva Costa’s view, testified to the stone’s durability. Only the head and hands were sculpted life-size and shipped to Brazil He selected a pale-coloured example from quarries near the city of Ouro Preto, where Aleijadinho had worked – unaware that eight decades later it would run out. Small triangles of the stone, 3cm x 3cm x 4cm, and 5mm thick were then glued on to squares of linen cloth by women volunteers in one of the parishes at the foot of the Corcovado. They often added a personal touch to their work by writing messages or their boyfriends' names on the back of the tiles. “I wrote many wishes on the soapstones,” said one of the workers, Lygia Maria Avila da Veiga, in a film shot by Bel Noronha. “They are up there, up there on top.” Symbol of a nation There is still a strong connection between the statue and those who live closest to it.

During Carnival, a street party called Christ’s Armpit, or “Suvaco do Cristo”, weaves its way beneath Corcovado in tribute to the outstretched arms overhead. Crowds of dancers and drummers samba through the streets wearing T-shirts bearing the image of Christ. For those who live in the Santa Marta favela nearby, the monument is constantly visible. “I’m aware of it every day – it’s a nice thing to have on the landscape,” says Silvana Castro da Silva. “It’s beautiful at night when it’s all lit up.” Santa Marta favela A mile away, as the crow flies, the figure of Christ appears like a white cross gleaming on the hill top. Or on special occasions it may be illuminated in a coloured light – lilac for Mother’s Day, pink for a breast cancer charity or blue for an autism awareness day. “We’re privileged to have a view of Christ – it’s a symbol of our community,” says Daniel Nascimento who sells a popular Brazilian sorbet made from the Amazonian acai berry. “I’m not religious so for me, it’s just one of the most beautiful places in Rio.

There’s a trail here up the hill to Corcovado that only the residents know about – it’s something special.” Despite the religious inspiration behind the statue, it was never seen exclusively in a religious light. Count Celso, one of the instigators of the project in the 1920s, described the completed work as a “monument to science, art and religion”. “It’s a religious symbol, a cultural symbol and a symbol of Brazil,” says Padre Omar, rector of the chapel in the base of the statue. “Christ the Redeemer brings a marvellous vista of welcoming open arms to all those who pass through the city of Rio de Janeiro.” The image of the statue is reproduced everywhere - in graffiti art, sand sculptures on Copacabana beach - and even on skin. Edilson Porfirio Dantas, who has lived in Rio for 18 years, has a Christ tattoo covering his entire back. "It took eight hours to complete," he says. "I'm not from Rio but the city is in my heart and Christ is beautiful." According to Marcio Roiter, president of Brazil's Art Deco Institute, Christ the Redeemer has multiple meanings - "for each person a different meaning".

As he sees it, it's not explicitly religious. "It's more like somebody giving you a hug - welcoming you." His words echo a 1969 song, That Hug, by one of Brazil's most famous singers, Gilberto Gil, which is sometimes said to have been inspired by the statue's arms-wide pose. After a spell as a political prisoner, the newly released Gil rejoices in the vibrancy of Rio, the girls of the favelas, the famous Portela samba school, the Flamengo football team, the Banda de Ipanema street parade… "Hello, Rio de Janeiro - that hug! "The Brazilian people - that hug!" Like the statue, Gil embraces everyone - and is embraced in return. Credits Rio de Janeiro Christ the Redeemer Statue - 5 Amazing Facts Rio de Janeiro Christ the Redeemer Statue - 5 Amazing Facts The famous Rio de Janeiro Christ the Redeemer statue is the face of this amazing city. This breath taking masterpiece overlooking Rio has been admired and visited by millions of people since it was first built in 1931. The Rio de Janeiro Christ the Redeemer statue is one of the most significant land marks around the world. Amazing Fact #1 - Whose Idea Was It?

- The idea behind the statue was first proposed in the mid 1850's when a Catholic Priest by the name of Pedro Maria Boss requested the finance to build a religious monument in the city. However, the idea was dismissed and the monument was never built. In 1921 a monument was proposed again by the Catholic Circle of Rio. They appealed to the public for support and donations to have something built to represent the religious strength in the country. Amazing Fact #2 - What Does Christ Stand For? - Christ the Redeemer statue (or Christo Redentor as it's known in Portuguese) is a worldwide symbol for peace. This amazing statue took nine years to complete, and is made from reinforced concrete with the outer layers being soapstone. These materials were chosen for the Rio de Janeiro statue due to their hard wearing qualities and ease to work with. Amazing Fact #3 - Who Designed Cristo Redentor? - The overall design of the statue was created by a local designer; however, a French sculptor was commissioned to sculpt the Christ the Redeemer. The overall cost of the statue was the equivalent of $250,000 today.

In 1980 Pope John Paul II was scheduled to visit the Rio de Janeiro statue and major restoration work was undertaken. In 2003 escalators and elevators were built, to allow people to gain easier access to the viewing platform. Amazing Fact #4 - Has It Ever Been Struck By Lightning? - In 2008 forceful lightning struck the monument causing damage to the fingers, eyebrows and head. Work was undertaken to restore these points on the statue, and some of the soapstone was removed and replaced. The lightning rods also needed to be repaired due to the extent of the damage. The focus of the last restoration in 2010 was to maintain the interior of Cristo Redentor. All of the stone that was used in the restoration was taken from the quarry that the original pieces were from. A fantastic lighting system was also installed to light up the base of the monument. Amazing Fact #5 - Who Would Vandalize Christ? - In 2010 an act of mindless vandalism occurred when someone spray painted the Rio de Janeiro Christ the Redeemer statue. The mayor declared it a crime against the nation, and a reward was put forward to catch the culprit.

Cristo Redentor proudly took its place in the list of seven new wonders of the world in 2007, and has been used in many films and documentaries over the years. At 38 meters tall and weighing 1.145 tonnes there is no doubt that this staggering monument is one of the most amazing manmade structures in the world. Home ›› Rio de Janeiro Brazil ›› Rio de Janeiro Christ the Redeemer Statue The 10 Best Statue of Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) Tours, Trips & Tickets - Rio de Janeiro | Viator Rio de Janeiro ATTRACTIONS See all Statue of Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) Keeping a watchful eye over the people of Rio de Janeiro, the Statue of Christ the Redeemer (or Cristo Redentor) sits atop Corcovado 2,300 feet (700 meters) above the city. It was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. The largest art deco statue in the world, it is 130 ft (39 m) tall and the arms measure 98 ft (30 m) across.

Made of reinforced concrete and sandstone the statue was unveiled in 1931. On a clear day the views from the base of the statue are fantastic. At night the statue is lit up and seemingly hovers over the city as the mountain it stands on is dark. If it is cloudy the clouds light up and the effect can be quite spectacular and ethereal. Practical Info To reach the statue take the cog train to the top of Corvado. The train, which offers some spectacular views if you sit on the right hand side, leaves from Rua Cosme Velho 513. Taxis can be a great way to visit the statue and if there is more than one of you it should be easy to negotiate the fee, for a return trip and waiting time, which will work out cheaper than the cog train.

Tours & Tickets Christ the Redeemer Statue, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 360° Aerial Panoramas, 360° Virtual Tours Around the World, Photos of the Most Interesting Places on the Earth Total Views: 642 452 After we got accustomed to Rio, my friend Dima and myself decided to visit the Corcovado hill, one of the city's main attractions, with world-famous statue of Christ the Redeemer on the top. We couldn't get there by car so we had to load all our equipment on the bus. The usual story followed after that: security at the entrance wouldn't let us on the premises unless we had a photo permit from the park's administration. An attempt to take off from the bus stop was also stopped by guards. There were no other places near the statue from which we could take off so that day we couldn't shoot anything. After we found out the address of the park's administration we immediately rushed in that direction. But we had to look for this address for a long time because there was no exact location on the map. Finally, with a help from local residents, we found our way.

It was a very beautiful place: high up in the mountains in the heart of the national park. Surprisingly, we couldn't get any cell service in the area; instead, we had a very good connection via free WiFi. I'd rather skip the details of our conversation with the administration representatives. Basically, they had nothing against us taking pictures of the statue, but at the same time they couldn't allow the photo shoot without getting approval from the church first. For some unknown reason, the church also couldn't give such approval on a short notice. So after a day of worthless struggle we returned to the hotel without any permits or documentations. The next day Dima rented a large helicopter to take pictures of the Christ statue. In the evening, without any hope for a positive answer, we decided to call the park's administration. And a miracle happened! An employee in charge of our case was able to get a photo permit from the church representatives. We were allowed to take off from the base of the statue! The next morning we got up before dawn. It was still dark when we drove up to the bus parking space. Guards at the gate had been warned to let us in on our own transportation.

But as we climbed higher up the hill the expression on our faces gradually changed from happy to gloomy: the top of the mountain was covered by thick fog. All the way from the parking lot to the observation desk we were surrounded with "milky fog". On the way up we met another group of people who were making a film about Rio. We spent all this time in agony while waiting to see if the fog would clear away. It would have been such a shame to fly halfway round the world, spend so much effort to get here at dawn and not to shoot anything because of heavy clouds. But we were lucky: during sunrise the wind blew from the ocean and gradually cleared the fog away from the hill, leaving behind fantastic colors. Suddenly a huge heavy cloud floated above our heads became brightly coloured in orange. Dima shouted: "Urgent take off!" And we were on our way! Over the last year I've seen many amazing sunrises, but I haven't seen so many colors at the same time. Color extravaganza lasted for about 10 minutes. During that time we managed to make 2 short take offs, the results of which you can see in our virtual tour .

And now we would like to give you some interesting facts about Christ the Redeemer Statue: Each great city has its own landmark. Eiffel Tower in Paris, The Statue of Liberty in New York, Opera house in Vienna, and majestic Kremlin towers, famous Moscow landmark. But today we want to tell you about the statue of Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) in Rio de Janeiro. On a 700-meter high Corcovado mountain stands a giant figure of Christ, his arms are stretched out towards the city, as if blessing the land. Each year, nearly 2 million tourists and residents climb to the top of the mountain to take a photo besides the monument "for good luck." The exact dimensions of Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro are as follows: the height of the figure is 38 meters, the height of the pedestal — 8 meters, weight — 1145 tons, arm stretch — 30 meters. It is believed that the idea behind ​​the creation of the statue came up in 1922, on the 100th anniversary of Brazil's independence. It appears that the story of the statue goes with its roots deep in the past.

Back in 1859 a Catholic priest Pedro Maria Boss was struck by the majestic beauty of the mountain of Corcovado while visiting Brazil. It was he who proposed to build a monument to Christ on top of the mountain. But at that time his aspirations were hard to accomplish: first the Brazilian Court had no money, and then the monarchy was replaced by the republican government. And since the church was legally separated from the state, the idea of building a monument was forgotten. The mountain was too striking to be empty, and in the XXth century Catholic organizations of Rio de Janeiro raised the issue again. Signatures were collected, funds were raised and, as a result, this ambitious project was able to get more than 2 million reals ($250,000), a huge amount of money for that time. Administration of Rio de Janeiro announced a competition for the best design, which attracted a lot of contenders. The winner was Heitor da Silva Costa. He proposed that the posture of Jesus Christ with the arms stretched to the sides would symbolize a cross, and a massive pedestal would symbolize the globe.

Thus, the sculpture serves to give people one thought — "Everything is in God's hands." The final design of the monument was done by artist Carlos Oswald. By proposing a number of corrections, he rejected the idea of a globe. And then, finally, everything was ready for the monument to be built. The construction lasted for about nine years. For several reasons, first and foremost technological ones, the creation of a giant statue in Brazil at that time was impossible, so all parts, including the frame, were manufactured in France. Disassembled parts were delivered to Brazil, and then transported by rail to the top of Mount Corcovado. The opening of the monument took place in October 12, 1931. This date is considered to be the "birthday" of the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro and is annually celebrated with a lot of festivities. The statue was repaired twice — in 1980 and 1990, and in 2010 it underwent some cosmetic restoration: it was vandalized with strange inscriptions, such as "when the cat's away, the mice will play" (the meaning of this act remains unclear to this day).

In 1932 and 2000 the system of nighttime illumination was upgraded. In 2007, this famous Rio de Janeiro landmark was chosen as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World. The statue can be reached by electric train or by mountain road. While being driving to the statue, you can't stay away from the window even for a second because Brazilian nature is so picturesque. Observation desks offer astonishing views of Rio de Janeiro: the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, "Sugar Loaf" mountain, the Tijuca National Park, the Atlantic Ocean and the Guanabara Bay with a town at the base of the bay. Not to sound vain, please take a look at this breathtaking sight with the help of our virtual tour . Christ the Redeemer Facts Christ the Redeemer Facts Christ the Redeemer Facts Christ the Redeemer is a statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that was built as a symbol of Brazilian Christianity. In 1850, the idea of building a religious monument was first suggested by a Catholic Priest. It wasn't until 1920 when a group petitioned for support to build a landmark statue that it became a reality.

The design was chosen from several ideas and construction began in the 1920s, taking nine years to finish. Today, Christ the Redeemer is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Interesting Christ the Redeemer Facts: Christ the Redeemer is the largest art deco statue in the world. It is 98 feet tall (not including the 26 foot pedestal), and the arms stretch to 92 feet wide. The statue weighs approximately 635 tonnes. Christ the Redeemer is located in the Tijuca Forest National Forest, at the top of the Corcovado Mountain. The statue is considered an icon of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. Christ the Redeemer is the 5th largest statue of Jesus. The first suggestion to build a large religious monument was made in the 1850s by a Catholic priest names Pedro Maria Boss. The request for financing wasn't approved because Princess Isabel was not a fan of the idea. The request was officially denied in 1889 when Brazil mandated the separation of church and state. A petition started by a group in the early 1920s, called the Catholic Circle of Rio, was successful.

Construction began in 1922 and took nine years to complete. The money to build Christ the Redeemer came from Brazil's Catholic community. There were several designs to choose from. One was a depiction of the Christian cross. Another was a statue of Jesus holding a globe, while standing over a pedestal that was to symbolize the world. The chosen statue is meant to show that Christ loves all and will embrace all that come to him. The stones that were used to build Christ the Redeemer came from Sweden. The statue was completed in 1931. It officially opened on October 12, 1931. The cost in 1931 was approximately $250,000 US. Today that would roughly be the equivalent of $3.2 million US. The statue had to be constructed in pieces and carried to the mountain top to be erected. The materials used to build Christ the Redeemer were reinforced concrete and soapstone. The right arm points to south Rio de Janeiro and the left arm points to north Rio de Janeiro. In 2008 a violent electrical storm resulted in a lightning strike to the statue. The head, eyebrows and fingers were damaged.

The soapstone exterior of the statue prevented severe damage as it acted as an insulator. The Rio de Janeiro state government began a restoration effort. They replaced some layers of soapstone and repaired the lightning rods on the statue. All the stone used in restoration efforts came from the same quarry as the original stone. Christ the Redeemer was vandalized in 2010 by a housepainter. He had sprayed the head and right arm with graffiti. The culprit was later identified. In 2003 there were escalators, elevators and walkways installed. These made it possible to access the platform that surrounds Christ the Redeemer. This statue became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World on July 7th, 2007. Related Links: Christ the Redeemer Statue | HowStuffWorks Christ the Redeemer Statue NEXT PAGENEXT With arms spread wide -- as if to embrace the whole city of Rio de Janeiro sprawling below in spectacular disorder -- the Cristo Redentor statue can be seen from all over town. For a pedestal, the statue has the 2,310-foot mountain called Corcovado.

The Christ figure on top rises another 100 feet, its arms extending nearly 92 feet from fingertip to fingertip, with a weight of some 700 tons. After riding up the mountain by auto or cogwheel railway, visitors must climb more than 200 steps to reach the statue's base. See more pictures of famous landmarks . French sculptor Paul Landowski and his team of artisans erected the impressive statue to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of Brazil's 1822 independence from Portugal. Due to budget constraints, however, the centennial artwork was finished nearly a decade later in 1931, and then only with help from the Vatican. Sleekly contemporary in appearance, the statue was fashioned of soapstone and concrete. The Cristo Redentor figure vies with Sugarloaf Mountain as the emblem of the city of the cariocas. And its site offers a view over Rio that is even more spectacular than Sugarloaf's, taking in the famous beaches at Copacabana and Ipanema, tree-lined residential neighborhoods, the bay, and a blue lagoon called Rodrigo de Freitas.

Corcovado itself is enveloped within a tropical reserve where waterfalls tumble and butterflies flit through thick forests. Local residents like to go up to see the statue by riding on a 2.3-mile cog railway whose tracks for cogwheel steam engines were laid up the mountainside in 1885. During the 20-minute ride, the train passes through leafy green tunnels of trees and provides views of Brazil's city of pleasure and poverty, carnival and beaches, far below. In the evening, powerful spotlights illuminate the statue of Christ, making it glow and appear almost to levitate above the darkened peak. By day or night, no matter where you may go in the city of Rio, the statue has the presence of an icon. Here are links to dozens of other world-famous landmarks: The Statue of Christ the Redeemer | Listen & Read | Spotlight English The Statue of Christ the Redeemer July 5, 2015 Cristo Redentor Klaus Foehl, via Wikimedia How do people know and recognize your city? Liz Waid and Ryan Geertsma look at the most famous symbol of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Audio▼ Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Liz Waid.

Voice 2 And I’m Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live. Voice 1 A man stands on the top of Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He can see the whole city spread out before him. He looks at white buildings surrounded by deep green hills and forests. He can also see the beautiful Guanabara Bay, with white sand, blue ocean and islands. The view from Corcovado Mountain is one of the most beautiful in all of Brazil. But the man standing on the mountain is not just there to see the beauty of nature. He is also there to see something made by humans - the statue of Cristo Redentor, or Christ the Redeemer. This amazing monument is one of the Seven New Wonders of the World. More than 5,000 people visit it every day. This statue is a cultural and religious treasure for Brazil and for the whole world. Today's Spotlight is on the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio. Voice 2 In 1920, there was a group of Christians in Rio called Circulo Carioca.

They proposed the idea for an important religious monument. They wanted to build a large statue of Jesus Christ in the city. First of all, the group wanted to celebrate 100 years of independence from Portugal. They also wanted Rio to have a symbol of the importance of the Christian religion in Brazil. Brazilian politicians gave Circulo Carioca permission to build the monument. But private citizens paid for most of the statue. People even went from house to house asking for money to pay for the statue! It was truly a work of national pride. Voice 1 After the idea was approved, Circulo Carioca held a competition to design the statue. A man named Heitor da Silva Costa won the competition. Da Silva Costa worked with a Brazilian artist named Carlos Oswald and a European artist named Paul Landowski. It took a long time to design the final plans, and even longer to build them. In total, it took ten years to finish the statue. The designers wanted it to be an object of great wonder and beauty. But it also needed to be strong enough to stand against time and weather. The designers wanted people to be able to see it from all points of the city. They also wanted the statue to represent the Christian faith before the world.

Voice 2 When Da Silva Costa designed the statue, he imagined the sun rising and setting on the top of Corcovado Mountain. He wrote, Voice 3 "The statue of Jesus will be the first image to come from the darkness of night. It will receive the touch of the sun, surrounding it with beautiful light. Then the sun's setting will build a crown of light around its head that is fit for the Man-God." Voice 1 Da Silva Costa was a Christian. Christians call Jesus the Christ, or Messiah. Messiah means "special chosen one." Christians also call Jesus the Redeemer of the world. A redeemer is a person who saves. In the Hebrew language, Jesus’ name means "he who saves." So the statue's title "Christ the Redeemer" means "the special chosen one who saves." Christians believe that Jesus is the one who saves the whole world. Voice 2 At first, Da Silva Costa designed the statue to include Jesus holding his cross. The cross is an important symbol for Jesus. Jesus chose to die on a cross. Christians believe that he became a sacrifice – he took the punishment for all the wrong things in the world.

Then, Christians believe that he defeated death – he returned to life, and he is still alive. And he offers new life, and forgiveness to all people. Voice 1 With the help of Carlos Oswald, Da Silva Costa redesigned the statue. In this design, there was no cross. Instead, Jesus is standing in the shape of a cross. He stands with his arms spread wide open. This is the design we see today. It represents all these elements of the Christian faith. But it also shows something else. The stories of Jesus show that Jesus loved all people. He cared for all people - rich and poor, from different cultures. The statue’s wide open arms represent this side of Jesus. It looks like Jesus is embracing the city, and blessing it. Voice 2 Christ the Redeemer is not the world's tallest statue of Jesus. But it is the most famous. Millions of people come to visit it every year. In 2007, the world's population voted on the new Seven Wonders of the World. More than 100 million people voted.

Along with other famous structures, such as the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal in India, Brazil's Christ the Redeemer became one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Voice 1 When Da Silva Costa designed the Christ statue, he imagined the light of the sun touching Jesus' head. He may not have imagined lightning. However, for a tall statue on the top of a mountain, lightning has always been a danger. And lightning has damaged the statue several times. Recently, lightning storms have become even more intense. They present more danger to the statue than ever before. Osmar Pinto works for the Brazilian Institute of Space Research. He told the BBC, Voice 4 "In the past few years, there have been some cases of storms with more than one thousand lightning bolts. This has not happened before." Voice 2 Because of the more intense storms, the Brazilian government has increased its efforts to protect the statue. Officials have been working hard to design ways for the statue to survive lightning strikes. Businessman Paolo Dal Pino is paying for some repairs to the statue.

He told the BBC, Voice 5 "This monument has two million visitors a year - it is going to be three million people probably in 2014. A place like this, damaged, is something that cannot exist." Voice 1 Christ the Redeemer is important for the cultural and religious history of Brazil. But it is also important for the millions of people from many countries who visit it. Padre Omar is the rector, or priest, of the church at the base of the statue. He told the BBC, Voice 6 "It is a religious symbol, a cultural symbol, and a symbol of Brazil. Christ the Redeemer brings a wonderful view of welcoming, open arms to all those who pass through the city of Rio de Janeiro." Voice 2 The writer of this program was Jen Hawkins. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at This program is called, “The Statue of Christ the Redeemer." Voice 1 You can also leave your comments on our website. And find us on Facebook - just search for Spotlight Radio.

We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye! Question: What landmarks make your city special? Would you want to go to the top of the Christ the Redeemer statue?

Question: Over which city does the statue of Christ the Redeemer look
Answer: Rio de Janeiro